Manitoba-Saskatchewan Flood Control Agreement Denounced

Farmers in the Assiniboine Valley say they feel sold down the river by a recent interprovincial flood control agreement. The pact between the Manitoba and Saskatchewan governments allows a controversial drainage project at Fishing Lake, Sask., to proceed with a controlled flow to avoid flooding on the upper Assiniboine River. But Manitoba producers who live

Letters – for Feb. 3, 2011

I am writing you with reference to the Jan. 27 announcement of an agreement in principle between Manitoba and Saskatchewan regarding transfer of flood waters from Fishing Lake in Saskatchewan into the Upper Assiniboine River Basin. A number of assurances have been given with regard to this flow that I believe are inaccurate as they


Flood Assistance For The Assiniboine River Valley

The province is making more than $2.5 million in flood assistance available to Assiniboine Valley producers who experienced financial loss due to excessive flooding of agricultural land between the Shellmouth reservoir and Brandon in 2010, Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) Minister Stan Struthers announced late last month. “Financial assistance is being extended to these

Another Dump Of Water Increases Flood Fears

As Manitoba prepares for possible flooding next spring, an additional flood risk looms from a lake drainage project in eastern Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan government is building an emergency channel to lower the level of Fishing Lake and alleviate the risk of flooding to nearby communities. Work on the project is scheduled to start Jan. 3.


Drainage Enforcement Should Be Fair – for Aug. 19, 2010

A story about a western Manitoba farmer fined $474 for a ditch that was two inches too deep led KAP delegates into a discussion about drainage at a general council meeting here July 22. Their conclusion: drainage rules need to be enforced equitably across the province. “We have trees, cattails, willows, plugged culverts, ditches that

Visit A Western Manitoba Park

If the general economy and price of gas are keeping you closer to home this summer, why not try camping in Manitoba? We have a large number of provincial parks, and the cost of camping is not prohibitive, especially since the government has eliminated park entry fees in our province this year. If you’re used


Floodway Makes Upstream Flooding Worse, Valley Farmers Say

“We’re a holding pond for Winnipeg.” – LORNE HAMBLIN Thick, gooey mud squishes under Lorne Hamblin’s rubber boots as he slogs through a field which should be sprouting green shoots. Instead, it’s a sea of heavy muck caused by retreating flood water and made worse by an inch of rain the day before. Hamblin stops,